When you first turn into Via dei Piatti in Milan, it is difficult to believe that one of these rather characterless post-war buildings actually contains a real gem of Renaissance architecture, which has been attributed to Donato Bramante (1444-1514). At 4, Via dei Piatti you will find a fine...
Sculptured above the Porte Juive in the Cathedral of Saint-Siffrein, Carpentras is a strange ball with a dozen rats running over it. Taking the place of two earlier buildings (7th and 12th centuries), the cathedral was begun in 1405 under the Avignon papacy of Benoît XIII (Pedro de Luna),...
The Black Virgin of the cathedral of Santa María de la Almudena is a reproduction of the original statue that was lost in the Santa María church fire during the reign of Philip II. The current statue dates from the late sixteenth century, although it is believed that the...
The famous bridge of Avignon was built in the 12th century by St Bénézet, but was abandoned in the 17th century after having been swept away on several occasions by floods of the Rhône. But who was this ‘saint’ and how did he come to build this bridge? For...
In Venice, just a short way from Campo Sant’ Aponàl, the entrance to Sotoportego della Madonna (at the corner of Calle Madonna and Calle del Perdon) has a text engraved in wood under the name of the sotoportego; in the middle is a small carved image that was inspired...
Designed by the architect and Freemason Ricardo Velàquez Bosco (1843-1923), the building that now houses the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was completed in 1987. Originally occupied by the Ministry of Development, it displays numerous Masonic references on its main façade. On either side of the front...
The masterpiece The Martyrdom of St Andrew by Baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens is preserved at the Fundación Carlos de Amberes (Charles of Antwerp Foundation), which even local Madrid residents are unfamiliar with. The history of this institution began in 1594 when Carols de Amberes ceded various buildings on...
The remarkable fountain in Rome known as the Botticella (little barrel) between Via di Ripetta and Piazza Augusto Imperatore was erected in 1774 by the guild of innkeepers and boatmen of the former port of Ripetta, where ships loaded with merchandise used to dock. Opposite San Rocco, the innkeepers...
Whether or not you believe in the existence of extra-terrestrial life, there is a strange Renaissance painting in Palazzo Vecchio which has drawn considerable attention by Ufologists because of a strange circular object which it contains. In a room on the top floor of the Palazzo Vecchio you will...
Created on the site where Vivaldo de San Gimignano died*, the San Valdo Sacro Monte outside Florence recreates various places associated with the life and final Passion of Christ. The twenty or so extant chapels (in the 16th century there were a total of 34) are adorned with sculpted...
Welcome to my love affair with the food, wine, history and culture of the Mediterranean, past and present. Here you will find not only recipes, drinks and fabulous products, but the history of the food and culture of the Mediterranean.
My purpose is to get you to explore and experience new tastes and along the way to immerse yourself in the wonderful history of this diverse and wonderful region – from Venice to Istanbul, Rome to Dubrovnik, Athens to Crete and all places in between and in the surrounds. Be prepared to be surprised, delighted and enthralled as you take this trip with me.
